Sweet Revenge Ch. 10

**********

A week of interminable agony passed, as William searched for his daughter. He dispatched men to search every corner of the city. They failed to find a single hint of Karina's whereabouts. It was as if, once again, she had dropped off the face of the earth.

William was insane with worry by the time he received a mysterious missive. He tore the letter open and quickly scanned the contents, immediately recognizing Karina's neatly flowing handwriting. As he read the words, he sank weakly into his chair.

Dear Papa, I'm sorry if you have been worried about me. I wrote this as soon as I was able. I am with Richard, and I have never been so happy. You can imagine my surprise when I found out he was alive. You should have told me, Papa. I would never have married Stuart had I known that Richard was alive. Anyway, that's in the past. My marriage was a dreadful mistake. Every day was like hell. I have no intention of returning to Stuart. I love Richard with all my heart, and he loves me. Although we aren't married, we are going to raise our child together. I hope that you can understand that. I know that my actions may cause you embarrassment or shame, but I have to follow my heart. Perhaps in time you can forgive me. I will send word again, but for now, please know that I am well and happy. Give my love to Elizabeth. I miss you both. Perhaps you can visit, once we are settled. It would be nice if you were present for the birth of your first grandchild...only time will tell. All my love, Karina

William squeezed his eyes tightly shut. At least one of his prayers had been answered, Karina was alive. He scrawled a summons to his son-in-law and studied Karina's letter as he waited. Stuart had a lot to answer for. He had sworn that Richard Bryant was dead, and William had been duped into believing him.

Stuart arrived, looking anxious as he was ushered into the room. "You sent for me? Have you found Karina?"

William motioned for him to sit down, and he handed him the letter. "You should read this. It has been very enlightening."

Stuart eyed him warily before turning his attention to Karina's letter. As he quickly read it, his face turned a mottled shade of red. "What the hell! I'll kill that son of a bitch!"

William studied him through narrowed eyes. "You told me you already had," he said accusingly. "You led me to believe that Bryant was dead. You even showed me a bloody scarf to prove it."

"I thought he was," Stuart growled, hurling himself from the chair in frustrated rage. He paced in a tight circle, replaying the events of that day in his mind. "I shot him. I saw him gasping for air as his blood drained out of him! I can't believe he survived! And now the cowardly whoreson has abducted my wife!"

"It doesn't sound like she's been abducted," William said quietly. He waited until Stuart met his gaze before continuing. "Karina's letter seems to indicate that she's happy to be with him. It's obvious that she wasn't very happy with you."

Stuart's fury only increased. "I might have known that you would side with your brat of a daughter. I can't believe you are defending her actions! The little slut has willingly run off with her ex-lover! Obviously, she enjoys being his whore!"

Before he quite knew what had happened, Stuart found himself flying across the room to land in a heap against the wall. His jaw throbbed painfully from the impact of William's fist, and he looked up to see the enraged man standing over him. William's face was murderous as he stared down at his son-in-law.

"Don't ever let me hear you criticize my daughter again, you miserable cur! I should never have trusted you with my daughter's welfare. Karina was right about you all along. You are a pathetic excuse for a man. Now get out of my sight!"

Stuart gathered himself up with as much dignity as he could muster. As he made his exit, William halted him.

"Oh, and there's one more thing, Rawlins. I have added a codicil to my will." Seeing the younger man's stricken gaze, William nodded grimly. "I suspected that my money was partially responsible for your interest in my daughter. But when you remained so devoted even after she had been Bryant's mistress, I allowed myself to believe that you truly cared for Karina. Unless Karina is brought safely home and I am able to ascertain that you are capable of making her happy, you won't inherit one penny of my money."

Stuart didn't trust himself to answer, and he fumed as he made his departure. He wasn't going to let his slutty wife ruin all his plans. He was too close to getting his hands on William Sinclair's fortune. He was determined to find Karina before her father did. Once he had her under his control again, he would force her to convince her father that all was well between them. Then, it would be time for William to meet with an untimely death.

***********

The next four weeks were blissful for Karina. Richard made it his first priority to buy a new wardrobe for Karina. While the sight of her dressed only in one of his cotton shirts was very appealing, he couldn't have her wandering about like that.

Her new gowns were beautiful and extremely stylish. They were modestly designed, tastefully displaying rather than lewdly flaunting her bosom. The seamstress carefully crafted the gowns so there would be ample room for growth in the upcoming months. Richard paid a hefty bonus for the gowns to be made quickly, and Karina squealed with delight when they arrived.

There were gowns of every color and description. Rich velvets, satins and silks were trimmed in costly lace and beautiful ribbons. Undergarments, slippers, and bonnets had all been made of the finest materials. It had cost a small fortune, but Richard wanted to see her well dressed. As he watched Karina preening before the large mirror he had purchased, Richard grinned. He had finally found an opportunity to spoil her.

Of all the items he had purchased, Richard considered the money he had spent on her lingerie to be the best investment. He had commissioned chemises and nightgowns of the sheerest material as well as silk stockings and lacy garters. The sight of her in those filmy creations, her body showcased in gauzy silk, brought him great pleasure and had preceded many of their most lustful interludes. Realizing his fascination, Karina found excuses to dawdle as she dressed, inwardly grinning as she waited for his control to snap. When he invariably gave in to temptation and snatched her onto his lap, she was more than happy to be caught and devoured.

They traveled to England by way of the Mediterranean, stopping at several ports along the way in Greece, Italy, France and Spain to trade cargo. They explored the various ports together, and every time her eyes lit on something she liked, Richard bought it for her as a gift.

As the days passed, her wounds, both physical and emotional, slowly healed. Under Richard's tender care, her skin took on a healthy glow, and her smile was beautiful to behold. She realized that she was no longer the headstrong girl she had been just a few months before. She was now a woman, and she was soon to be a mother.

Their baby bound Richard and Karina even closer together, and they often spoke of their hopes and dreams for the child. Karina was surprised to learn that Richard had been a father once before. Oftentimes, he would gently caress her belly. It was becoming more rounded with each passing day, and whenever Karina bemoaned the loss of her slender figure, Richard gave her an unrepentant grin and chased away her insecurities with heady caresses. She was thrilled to feel the first, faint movements of the baby she carried. She had been terrified that Stuart's brutality may have harmed the babe, but it's increasingly strong kicks reassured her.

As they neared the Straits of Gibraltar, Karina grew pensive. She realized that their idyllic time would eventually come to an end, and she was worried about what they would face in England. Sooner or later, they would have to confront the fact that she was married to another man.

One day, Richard sat at his desk working on some ledgers, while Karina sat in the window seat. She heaved a pensive sigh. Richard heard her and laid his pen aside.

"What's wrong, my sweet?"

Karina turned to face him and smiled sadly. "I'm just worried. Stuart will never release me from my marriage, and I'm afraid of what he might do to us. I'm worried that he will find us and come to take me away."

She watched Richard rise and walk to her. He knelt beside her and looked up into her wide blue eyes. When he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, his smile was tender.

"Karina, please trust me. I won't let anyone harm you again, nor will I let anyone come between us." He watched her carefully. "I am going to do whatever it takes to free you from that bastard's clutches. I won't rest until you are my wife. Besides, he has to pay for what he has done."

Karina knew that Richard meant every word, and she looked at him pleadingly. "Please, Richard. Promise me you won't do anything rash. Stuart is a member of the nobility. You can't simply kill him. You would be hung for murder! I couldn't bear it if you came to any harm because of me. I would gladly spend the rest of my life as your mistress if you would just give up this notion of revenge."

"And would you gladly condemn our child to be raised under such a stigma? Would you spend the rest of our lives wondering when Stuart Rawlins would show up with the magistrate to snatch you from my side?" Richard traced her trembling bottom lip with his thumb as he shook his head. "It's not revenge this time, Karina. None of us will be safe as long as that bastard lives."

"But Richard..."

Richard hushed her protests with a gentle finger across her lips. His eyes compelled her to understand. "I can only promise that I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. I love you, Karina. I will do everything in my power to protect you and our child."

Karina sighed, realizing that she couldn't sway him from his purpose. If their roles were reversed, she would feel the same.

"At least promise me that you will be careful," she whispered, tracing his lips with her fingers. "I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you."

Richard gave her a rakish grin. "I promise to be careful." He rubbed his palm suggestively over her gently rounded belly. "I intend to make many more babies with you."

Knowing that he was trying to distract her from her worries, Karina tugged at her bottom lip and twirled one finger into the hair at his temple. "In that case, perhaps we should work on our technique. Making babies requires lots of practice, you know." Her lips curved into a teasing grin.

"You could be right," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Richard made her squeal with delight when he abruptly scooped her up and carried her to the bed. He had her undressed in a wink, and his hot lips seared her as he covered every inch of her soft flesh. Discussing Karina's marriage made Richard even more anxious to claim her as his own.

"You're mine, Karina. Now and forever, you're mine! Say it."

He branded her nipples with his fiery tongue and fierce teeth. Karina gasped and clutched him closer as he tortured the sensitive flesh. Her tension wound tighter in the pit of her belly with each sharp tug.

"Say it," he insisted, pulling even harder with his teeth. "Say you belong to me and only me."

When Karina merely buried her fingers in his hair and arched her back, he growled and switched to her other breast. He pushed her thighs wide apart and probed her sweet pussy. Her flowing moisture should have made it clear that she belonged to him, but still he wasn't satisfied. He reached deep inside her listening as her cries grew increasingly desperate.

"Say it, Karina. You're mine, say it!"

She writhed beneath him, thrusting against his hand as he stroked her. Her hunger grew more intense with each quiver of his long fingers.

"I'm yours, all yours," she gasped breathlessly. "Please..."

Sensing her desperation, Richard lifted her knees over his shoulders and plunged into her. When he was sunk to the hilt in her lush body, he shivered and closed his eyes to savor the moment. He settled into a steady rhythm of deep, evocative strokes. He renewed his coercion, seizing her nipples and twisting them until she moaned.

"Say it again," he demanded, snaring her gaze and refusing to let her look away. He steadily increased the pressure on her nipples until she complied.

"I'm yours," she cried. She caressed the back of his hands in a silent plea for more. Another sharp squeeze punctuated an even deeper thrust. "I'm yours." She repeated the words like a mantra, timing them with his powerful thrusts. "I'm yours. All yours. I'm yours. All yours. I'm yours."

With each gasping chant, his fingers grew bolder on her breasts, sending jolts of exquisite pleasure into her belly with every squeeze. With each repetition of the words his strokes grew more possessive, delving ever deeper into the welcoming haven of her body.

Richard closed his eyes and wallowed in Karina's luscious heat, plunging inside her as he listened to her breathless chant. When he couldn't hold out any longer against the raging tide, he captured her gaze and clamped down even harder on her throbbing nipples. With a final mighty stroke, he flung her over the edge, and her pussy contracted in a series of rippling waves around him. His hoarse groan mingled with her scream as he bathed her tight passage with his pulsating seed.

He lowered her knees from his shoulders but remained buried inside her as he caught and held her gaze. Her eyes told him that she had understood his message. There could be no compromise, no backing down, no slinking into the shadows. There would be no rest until he was able to claim her openly, publicly and without shame. She belonged to him, and he would do whatever it took to keep her.

**********

Richard stared out the window at Karina, as she strolled through the gardens. She was a vision in pale blue muslin. His heart swelled with protective tenderness at the sight of her gently rounded belly. She was entering her sixth month of pregnancy, and Richard felt an urgent need to make her his wife before their child was born. His lips turned down in a thoughtful frown as he turned back to face his guest.

"So, Lord Henry, are you willing to help me?"

Richard had just finished telling him everything about his relationship with Karina. He hadn't left anything out, including his own atrocious behavior in kidnapping and ravishing an innocent woman and the details of how Karina had been abused by her husband. Richard knew that he could trust Lord Henry to keep every detail confidential, and he needed to be entirely honest with him if he hoped to have his assistance.

Lord Henry pursed his lips thoughtfully. "You know that I was a close friend of your father's, and I have known you since the day you were born. I simply can't believe the way you behaved. Your father would turn over in his grave if he knew."

Richard blushed with chagrin and nodded his head. "I know, sir. A day does not go by that I don't regret my actions." His face turned a deeper shade of red. "The truth of the matter is that once I laid eyes on Karina, I had to have her for my own. I used my rage to justify my plan for revenge, and I allowed my lust for her to override my conscience."

Lord Henry released a sigh and sipped his bourbon. "Well, it's too late to change the past, but we owe it to Karina to make things right. After everything you have told me about Rawlins, I agree that we must protect her from him. Are you sure all your information is correct."

"I'm sure. Even though the man I hired to investigate Rawlins' background wasn't able to get any concrete proof, I'm sure his information is accurate. I didn't think it was possible to detest Stuart Rawlins more than I already did, but given these new revelations, there's no doubt the man is an evil monster. Hanging is too good for him."

"Yes, but you will have to be satisfied with a hanging nonetheless. I won't have you carrying out some vigilante justice and then getting yourself executed!" Seeing Richard's nod of acceptance, Lord Henry relaxed against the back of the chair. "I agree with you that we can't go through the courts. It would ruin Karina's reputation entirely and cause her even more pain. As it is, she is fortunate that these events took place in Egypt, and that no one knows she is living here with you while being married to someone else. We will have to handle this with the utmost discretion."

"So what did you have in mind?" Richard asked.

***********

Stuart Rawlins stumbled down the steps of the brothel, barely able to keep his feet steady beneath him. His night of drinking and whoring had failed to dull his frustration, and he growled fiercely as he peered into the predawn darkness for a hackney. A large black coach approached, and he hailed it imperiously. He gave the driver his address and lurched inside.

The coach rattled into motion as he wedged himself into one corner. The past month had been full of frustration. He had failed in his search for Karina. His only satisfaction came from knowing that the haughty little bitch would give birth to a bastard child!

He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the throbbing ache in his head. His creditors were closing in from every side, demanding payment of his debts. He had been counting on Karina's inheritance, but with every day that passed, his desperation grew.

Stuart was so caught up in his musings that he didn't notice the direction the coach had taken until it reached the docks. The stench of rotting fish reached him, and he frowned as he lifted the window flap aside. The coach pulled to a stop, and he could barely see the outline of a tall ship bobbing in the water nearby.

"What the hell is going on," he grumbled.

He reached for the door, but it was snatched open from the outside. Stuart blinked to focus his vision as he faced two burly seamen. They were both huge, with rippling muscles and legs like tree trunks. Stuart felt the hairs on the back of his neck beginning to stand on end.

"Hello Gov'na," the larger sailor said with a grin. "You are Stuart Rawlins aren't you?"

Stuart's eyes widened, as he tried to clear his brain from a drunken haze. "How do you know my name? Where am I?"

"You'll find out soon enough," the seaman said, grasping him roughly by one arm. "Come along. The captain says we're to make you comfortable below deck. Don't give us any trouble now."

"What the hell are you talking about? Unhand me!"

Stuart began to struggle, and the second sailor tapped him neatly on the back of the skull with a small wooden club. Stuart crumpled into a senseless heap on the slimy boards.

"Now look what you've done, George," the first seaman said crossly. "I'll have to carry his no good carcass!"

"Ah Mick, I'll carry him," his companion said with a nod. "It was worth it to cuff the bloody bastard."

George hefted Stuart's limp body over one shoulder, and they climbed the gangplank to the Sea Falcon. Negotiating the narrow stairs was a bit of a challenge, but between the two of them, they managed to haul their captive down to the lowest hold of the ship.

A single lantern threw some meager light onto a holding cell. The ship's hull formed two sides of the small enclosure, and the other two were heavy iron bars. There was a narrow cot along one side, and they dumped Stuart's unconscious form onto the thin pallet. They stood for a few moments, looking at his crumpled form.

"Come on," George said, nudging his friend with an elbow. "We've got work to do. We'll have to wait until we set sail before we can give this bastard a taste of his own medicine."